Kansas State formally employed legendary former quarterback Collin Klein as coach, this system introduced Thursday. Klein, 36, had most not too long ago served as Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator. He succeeds Chris Klieman, who retired Wednesday, and 247Sports had reported Klein was in line to be the subsequent head man in cost for the Wildcats.
Klein will proceed to educate the Aggies by the School Soccer Playoff.
After redshirting at Kansas State in 2008, Klein performed broad receiver in 2009 earlier than changing to quarterback in 2010. He took over full-time behind heart the subsequent yr, and throughout 2011 and 2012, he amassed a 21-5 report, threw for 29 touchdowns, ran for 50 touchdowns and completed third in 2012 Heisman Trophy voting. The Wildcats reached as excessive as No. 2 in his senior season, tied for his or her highest rating ever.
Klein returned to Kansas State as a coach in 2014 and slowly labored his manner up from low-level assistant to quarterbacks coach to co-offensive coordinator to, lastly, offensive coordinator from 2022-23. Texas A&M employed him away after the 2023 season. Now, nonetheless, he returns to the place that made him a star.
Klein’s contract is for 5 years, with a median base wage of $4.3 million.
Klieman, who took over for the enduring Invoice Snyder in 2019 and was below contract by 2032, produced a number of sturdy seasons upon his arrival in Manhattan, together with a 10-win marketing campaign in 2022 and bowl wins in 2021, 2023 and 2024.
However the Wildcats are simply 6-6 this season after being ranked seventeenth within the AP preseason ballot. They will hope Klein — the primary Kansas State alum to be head coach since Ellis Rainsberger from 1975-77 — can get issues again on observe.
This is extra evaluation from CBS Sports activities’ Cody Nagel:
He spent 5 seasons on Klieman’s employees, together with two as offensive coordinator, earlier than departing for School Station forward of the 2024 season. Klein’s familiarity with Kansas State’s roster, donors and recruiting base — mixed together with his standing as one of many program’s most achieved former gamers — has made him the college’s main goal as succession planning accelerates.
As a coach, Klein rapidly made his mark when he joined the employees in 2017. He served as Kansas State’s offensive coordinator for 2 seasons in 2022-23, taking a unit that ranked exterior the highest 75 nationally in 2021 to top-25 rankings in a number of offensive classes earlier than his departure. His offenses grew to become recognized for effectivity and stability: whole offense jumped from 362.3 yards per recreation in 2021 to 446.1 in 2023, scoring jumped from 27.5 to 37.8 factors per recreation, and his remaining unit led the nation in red-zone landing conversion charge at 78.7%.
The Wildcats’ dashing assault additionally flourished, producing top-15 models nationally in yards per recreation, whereas quarterbacks posted school-record low interception percentages.
After becoming a member of Texas A&M in 2024, Klein helped information the Aggies to a 5-0 begin in SEC play, marking this system’s greatest convention begin since 1998. The offense ranked second within the SEC in dashing behind a powerful offensive line. Texas A&M ranks sixteenth nationally in scoring offense with 36.3 factors per recreation this season. Klein is a semifinalist for the Broyles Award, given yearly to the highest assistant coach in faculty soccer.
